scholarly journals Direct Measurement of Forest Degradation Rates in Malawi: Toward a National Forest Monitoring System to Support REDD+

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 426
Author(s):  
David Skole ◽  
Jay Samek ◽  
Cheikh Mbow ◽  
Michael Chirwa ◽  
Dan Ndalowa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Forest Degradation ◽  
Forest Monitoring ◽  
National Forest ◽  
Forest Cover Change ◽  
Deforestation Rates ◽  
Degradation Rates ◽  
The Government ◽  
Agricultural Areas

Spatial time-series measurements of forest degradation rates are important for estimating national greenhouse gas emissions but have been challenging for open forests and woodlands. This lack of quantitative data on forest degradation rates, location and biomass is an important constraint to developing national REDD+ policy. In Malawi, and in most countries in Africa, most assessments of forest cover change for carbon emissions monitoring tend to report only deforestation in the public forest estate managed by the government, even when important forest degradation also occurs in agricultural areas, such as customary forests and other tree-based systems. This study has resulted in: (a) a new robust forest map for Malawi, (b) spatial and quantitative measurements of both forest degradation and deforestation, and (c) a demonstration of the approach through the introduction of a tool that maps across the broad landscape of forests and trees outside of forests. The results can be used to support REDD+ National Forest Monitoring Systems. This analysis produces new estimates of landscape-wide deforestation rates between 2000–2009 (22,410 ha yr−1) and 2009–2015 (38,937 ha yr−1). We further produce new estimates of the rate of forest degradation between 2000–2009 (42,961 ha yr−1) and 2009–2015 (71,878 ha yr−1). The contribution of these new tools and estimates to capacities for calculating carbon emissions are important, increasing prospects for full REDD+ readiness across semi-arid Africa.

scholarly journals Patterns and Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Myanmar

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7539
Author(s):  
Zaw Naing Tun ◽  
Paul Dargusch ◽  
DJ McMoran ◽  
Clive McAlpine ◽  
Genia Hill
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Change Detection ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Forest Degradation ◽  
Forest Monitoring ◽  
Map Algebra ◽  
Change Detection Analysis ◽  
Detection Analysis

Myanmar is one of the most forested countries of mainland Southeast Asia and is a globally important biodiversity hotspot. However, forest cover has declined from 58% in 1990 to 44% in 2015. The aim of this paper was to understand the patterns and drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Myanmar since 2005, and to identify possible policy interventions for improving Myanmar’s forest management. Remote sensing derived land cover maps of 2005, 2010 and 2015 were accessed from the Forest Department, Myanmar. Post-classification change detection analysis and cross tabulation were completed using spatial analyst and map algebra tools in ArcGIS (10.6) software. The results showed the overall annual rate of forest cover loss was 2.58% between 2005 and 2010, but declined to 0.97% between 2010 and 2015. The change detection analysis showed that deforestation in Myanmar occurred mainly through the degradation of forest canopy associated with logging rather than forest clearing. We propose that strengthening the protected area system in Myanmar, and community participation in forest conservation and management. There needs to be a reduction in centralisation of forestry management by sharing responsibilities with local governments and the movement away from corruption in the timber trading industry through the formation of local-based small and medium enterprises. We also recommend the development of a forest monitoring program using advanced remote sensing and GIS technologies.

scholarly journals The Effectiveness of China’s National Forest Protection Program and National-level Nature Reserves, 2000 to 2010

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guopeng Ren ◽  
Stephen S. Young ◽  
Lin Wang ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Yongcheng Long ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Cover ◽  
National Level ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Nature Reserves ◽  
National Forest ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Forest Protection ◽  
Deforestation Rate ◽  
Deforestation Rates

There is profound interest in knowing the degree to which China’s institutions are capable of protecting its natural forests and biodiversity in the face of economic and political change. China’s two most important forest protection policies are its National Forest Protection Program (NFPP) and its National-level Nature Reserves (NNRs). The NFPP was implemented in 17 provinces starting in the year 2000 in response to deforestation-caused flooding. We used MODIS data (MOD13Q1) to estimate forest cover and forest loss across mainland China, and we report that 1.765 million km2or 18.7% of mainland China was covered in forest (12.3%, canopy cover > 70%) and woodland (6.4%, 40% ≤ canopy cover < 70%) in 2000. By 2010, a total of 480,203 km2of forest+woodland was lost, amounting to an annual deforestation rate of 2.7%. The forest-only loss was 127,473 km2, or 1.05% annually. The three most rapidly deforested provinces were outside NFPP jurisdiction, in the southeast. Within the NFPP provinces, the annual forest+woodland loss rate was 2.26%, and the forest-only rate was 0.62%. Because these loss rates are likely overestimates, China appears to have achieved, and even exceeded, its NFPP target of reducing deforestation to 1.1% annually in the target provinces. We also assemble the first-ever polygon dataset for China’s forested NNRs (n=237), which covered 74,030 km2in 2000. Conventional unmatched and covariate-matching analyses both find that about two-thirds of China’s NNRs exhibit effectiveness in protecting forest cover and that within-NNR deforestation rates are higher in provinces that have higher overall deforestation.

scholarly journals Thirty-Year Spatiotemporal Change Record of Sundarban Mangrove Forest in Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-32
Author(s):  
KMM Uzzaman ◽  
MG Miah ◽  
HM Abdullah ◽  
MR Islam ◽  
MSI Afrad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mangrove Forest ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Forest Monitoring ◽  
Continuous Change ◽  
Forest Cover Change ◽  
Subsequent Increase ◽  
Stable Pattern ◽  
Sundarban Mangrove ◽  
Conservation And Management

Accurate and realistic forest cover change assessment is essential for the conservation and management of the Sundarban mangrove forest of Bangladesh. With these views, an integrated way of the vegetation cover assessment was conducted using time-series Landsat satellite imageries of 1991, 2001, 2011, and 2021. During the last 30-year (1991-2021), variations in four land cover classes viz. healthy vegetation, unhealthy vegetation, water body, and sandbar were recorded. It showed a decreasing trend of forest vegetation and a subsequent increase of water bodies during the study period. The healthy vegetation and unhealthy vegetation decreased at 1.33 and 1.66%, respectively, whereas water bodies increased 2.55% at the same time. The healthy vegetation consistently decreased over the decades, but unhealthy vegetation decreased during the 2001-2011 period. Conversion from healthy vegetation to unhealthy vegetation and unhealthy vegetation to healthy vegetation during 1991-2001 was similar. Such transform was much higher from unhealthy to healthy vegetation during 2001-2011. Transformation of healthy vegetation to unhealthy vegetation was remarkably higher during the 2011-2021 period. Further continuous change detection and classification algorithm (CCDC) showed a stable pattern over the study period without significant breakpoints. This study reveals the need for regular mangrove forest monitoring. The findings of this study can be used as a reference in the formulation and implementation of sustainable mangrove forest conservation and management. Ann. Bangladesh Agric. (2020) 24(2): 15-32

Opportunities for Reaping the Benefits of REDD+ in Sikkim Himalaya for Conservation and Enhancement of Carbon Stock

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-215
Author(s):  
Mohommad Shahid ◽  
◽  
L.K. Rai ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Forest Degradation ◽  
Forest Cover Change ◽  
Change Analysis ◽  
Carbon Sequestration Potential ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
Article 5

Paris Agreement recognized the role of forests as carbon sink for mitigation of climate change, under Article 5 as REDD+, i.e., reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. Forest cover change analysis was done between two time periods 2005 and 2015 to assess the forest degradation. Carbon sequestration potential of the forests of Sikkim for mitigating climate change is also estimated. Benefits of implementing of REDD+ in Sikkim involving local communities as stakeholder to conserve and sustainably manage the forest is assessed. Gaps and challenges faced by the stakeholder in implementing REDD+ at project level are also highlighted.

Study on Global Burned Forest Areas Based on Landsat Data

2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (8) ◽  
pp. 503-508
Author(s):  
Zhaoming Zhang ◽  
Tengfei Long ◽  
Guojin He ◽  
Mingyue Wei ◽  
Chao Tang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Time Series Data ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Forest Degradation ◽  
Forest Monitoring ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Burned Area ◽  
Burned Forest

Forests are an extremely valuable natural resource for human development. Satellite remote sensing technology has been widely used in global and regional forest monitoring and management. Accurate data on forest degradation and disturbances due to forest fire is important to understand forest ecosystem health and forest cover conditions. For a long time, satellite-based global burned area products were only available at coarse native spatial resolution, which was difficult for detecting small and highly fragmented fires. In order to analyze global burned forest areas at finer spatial resolution, in this study a novel, multi-year 30 meter resolution global burned forest area product was generated and released based on Landsat time series data. Statistics indicate that in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2018 the total area of burned forest land in the world was 94.14 million hm2, 96.65 million hm2, 59.52 million hm2, 76.42 million hm2, and 83.70 million hm2, respectively, with an average value of 82.09 million hm2. Spatial distribution patterns of global burned forest areas were investigated across different continents and climatic domains. It was found that burned forest areas were mainly distributed in Africa and Oceania, which accounted for approximately 73.85% and 6.81% of the globe, respectively. By climatic domain, the largest burned forest areas occurred in the tropics, with proportions between 88.44% and 95.05% of the world's total during the study period. Multi-year dynamic analysis shows the global burned forest areas varied considerably due to global climate anomalies, e.g., the La Niña phenomenon.

Forest cover change patterns in Myanmar (Burma) 1990–2000

2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 356-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
PETER LEIMGRUBER ◽  
DANIEL S. KELLY ◽  
MARC K. STEININGER ◽  
JAKE BRUNNER ◽  
THOMAS MÜLLER ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Cover ◽  
Mangrove Forests ◽  
Forest Cover Change ◽  
Charcoal Production ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Agricultural Conversion ◽  
Deforestation Rates ◽  
Commercial Logging ◽  
Closed Canopy ◽  
Landsat Satellite

Myanmar is one of the most forested countries in mainland South-east Asia. These forests support a large number of important species and endemics and have great value for global efforts in biodiversity conservation. Landsat satellite imagery from the 1990s and 2000s was used to develop a countrywide forest map and estimate deforestation. The country has retained much of its forest cover, but forests have declined by 0.3% annually. Deforestation varied considerably among administrative units, with central and more populated states and divisions showing the highest losses. Ten deforestation hotspots had annual deforestation rates well above the countrywide average. Major reasons for forest losses in these hotspots stemmed from increased agricultural conversion, fuelwood consumption, charcoal production, commercial logging and plantation development. While Myanmar continues to be a stronghold for closed canopy forests, several areas have been experiencing serious deforestation. Most notable are the mangrove forests in the Ayeyarwady delta region and the remaining dry forests at the northern edge of the central dry zone.

scholarly journals Value Chain of Charcoal Production and Implications for Forest Degradation: Case Study of Bié Province, Angola

Environments ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasco Chiteculo ◽  
Bohdan Lojka ◽  
Peter Surový ◽  
Vladimir Verner ◽  
Dimitrios Panagiotidis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Forest Degradation ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Forest Cover Change ◽  
Charcoal Production ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Alternative Sources ◽  
Urban Consumption

Forest degradation and forest loss threaten the survival of many species and reduce the ability of forests to provide vital services. Clearing for agriculture in Angola is an important driver of forest degradation and deforestation. Charcoal production for urban consumption as a driver of forest degradation has had alarming impacts on natural forests, as well as on the social and economic livelihood of the rural population. The charcoal impact on forest cover change is in the same order of magnitude as deforestation caused by agricultural expansion. However, there is a need to monitor the linkage between charcoal production and forest degradation. The aim of this paper is to investigate the sequence of the charcoal value chain as a systematic key to identify policies to reduce forest degradation in the province of Bié. It is a detailed study of the charcoal value chain that does not stop on the production and the consumption side. The primary data of this study came from 330 respondents obtained through different methods (semi-structured questionnaire survey and market observation conducted in June to September 2013–2014). A logistic regression (logit) model in IBM SPSS Statistics 24 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA) was used to analyze the factors influencing the decision of the households to use charcoal for domestic purposes. The finding indicates that 21 to 27 thousand hectares were degraded due to charcoal production. By describing the chain of charcoal, it was possible to access the driving factors for charcoal production and to obtain the first-time overview flow of charcoal from producers to consumers in Bié province. The demand for charcoal in this province is more likely to remain strong if government policies do not aim to employ alternative sources of domestic energy.

scholarly journals Securing tropical forest carbon: the contribution of protected areas to REDD

Oryx ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 352-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jörn P. W. Scharlemann ◽  
Valerie Kapos ◽  
Alison Campbell ◽  
Igor Lysenko ◽  
Neil D. Burgess ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Forest Degradation ◽  
Protected Area Management ◽  
Forest Loss ◽  
The Tropics

AbstractForest loss and degradation in the tropics contribute 6–17% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Protected areas cover 217.2 million ha (19.6%) of the world’s humid tropical forests and contain c. 70.3 petagrams of carbon (Pg C) in biomass and soil to 1 m depth. Between 2000 and 2005, we estimate that 1.75 million ha of forest were lost from protected areas in humid tropical forests, causing the emission of 0.25–0.33 Pg C. Protected areas lost about half as much carbon as the same area of unprotected forest. We estimate that the reduction of these carbon emissions from ongoing deforestation in protected sites in humid tropical forests could be valued at USD 6,200–7,400 million depending on the land use after clearance. This is > 1.5 times the estimated spending on protected area management in these regions. Improving management of protected areas to retain forest cover better may be an important, although certainly not sufficient, component of an overall strategy for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD).

scholarly journals Combining global tree cover loss data with historical national forest-cover maps to look at six decades of deforestation and forest fragmentation in Madagascar

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghislain Vieilledent ◽  
Clovis Grinand ◽  
Fety A. Rakotomalala ◽  
Rija Ranaivosoa ◽  
Jean-Roger Rakotoarijaona ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
National Level ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
National Forest ◽  
Area Network ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Forest Cover Change ◽  
Current Conservation ◽  
Forest Maps

AbstractThe island of Madagascar has a unique biodiversity, mainly located in the tropical forests of the island. This biodiversity is highly threatened by anthropogenic deforestation. Existing historical forest maps at national level are scattered and have substantial gaps which prevent an exhaustive assessment of long-term deforestation trends in Madagascar. In this study, we combined historical national forest cover maps (covering the period 1953-2000) with a recent global annual tree cover loss dataset (2001-2014) to look at six decades of deforestation and forest fragmentation in Madagascar (from 1953 to 2014). We produced new forest cover maps at 30 m resolution for the year 1990 and annually from 2000 to 2014 over the full territory of Madagascar. We estimated that Madagascar has lost 44% of its natural forest cover over the period 1953-2014 (including 37% over the period 1973-2014). Natural forests cover 8.9 Mha in 2014 (15% of the national territory) and include 4.4 Mha (50%) of moist forests, 2.6 Mha (29%) of dry forests, 1.7 Mha of spiny forests (19%) and 177,000 ha (2%) of mangroves. Since 2005, the annual deforestation rate has progressively increased in Madagascar to reach 99,000 ha/yr during 2010-2014 (corresponding to a rate of 1.1%/yr). Around half of the forest (46%) is now located at less than 100 m from the forest edge. Our approach could be replicated to other developing countries with tropical forest. Accurate forest cover change maps can be used to assess the effectiveness of past and current conservation programs and implement new strategies for the future. In particular, forest maps and estimates can be used in the REDD+ framework which aims at “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation” and for optimizing the current protected area network.

scholarly journals Integrating Pixels, People, and Political Economy to Understand the Role of Armed Conflict and Geopolitics in Driving Deforestation: The Case of Myanmar

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 4589
Author(s):  
Kevin M. Woods ◽  
Panshi Wang ◽  
Joseph O. Sexton ◽  
Peter Leimgruber ◽  
Jesse Wong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Political Ecology ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Integrated Analysis ◽  
Forest Cover Change ◽  
The North ◽  
Deforestation Rates ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Political Economic

Armed conflict and geopolitics are a driving force of Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULCC), but with considerable variation in deforestation trends between broader and finer scales of analysis. Remotely-sensed annual deforestation rates from 1989 to 2018 are presented at the national and (sub-) regional scales for Kachin State in the north of Myanmar and in Kayin State and Tanintharyi Region in the southeast. We pair our multiscaled remote sensing analysis with our multisited political ecology approach where we conducted field-based interviews in study sites between 2018 and 2020. Our integrated analysis identified three common periods of deforestation spikes at the national and state/region level, but with some notable disparities between regions as well as across and within townships and village tracts. We found the rate and geography of deforestation were most influenced by the territorial jurisdictions of armed authorities, national political economic reforms and timber regulations, and proximity to national borders and their respective geopolitical relations. The absence or presence of ceasefires in the north and southeast did not solely explain deforestation patterns. Rather than consider ceasefire or war as a singular explanatory variable effecting forest cover change, we demonstrate the need to analyze armed conflict as a dynamic multisited and diffuse phenomenon, which is simultaneously integrated into broader political economy and geopolitical forces.

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